Task Force Releases Report on Childhood Obesity

To rollback childhood obesity in one generation.

Ambitious goal - to get the prevalence of childhood obesity down to 5% by 2030. No society has ever succeeded in undertaking such an enormous task - one that is complicated by deeply ingrained norms around diet and exercise, a well-financed commercial industry (not only fast/junk food, but also when it comes to diet and weight loss), and a general distrust of government-led initiatives.

The White House Task Force on Childhood Obesity released its report (commissioned by President Obama on February 9, 2010) and it combines the best evidence for tackling weight gain among our nation's kids.

It quickly lays out the facts: our children are fatter than ever and it is impacting their health.

Leisure Time in Bavaria -- Germany, that is.

Snow capped mountains and miles of farmland lined the streets and highways on my way through the Bavarian Alps last week. I was on a vacation with my family in southern Germany where we spent a few days in Stuttgart and a few more in Garmisch with family who have lived there for the past six years.

What struck me most during my days was not least the cold but that despite the cold if you walked anywhere you saw at least a dozen Germans walking outside, as well.

How to Lose Weight in Ten Days

Gimmicks.

Losing It
Weight loss isn't easy. The following weight loss plans: Atkins, South Beach, Green Tea, Low Carb, Low Fat all have one thing in common: they focus on diet. Why do all these weight loss fads all focus on changing what you eat? The answer may be simpler than you think: results. Changing what you eat is the quickest way to lose weight. Eat fewer calories and you will lose weight, all else being equal.

What does it take to burn 300 calories through physical activity? Likely, an hour of brisk walking or a 3 mile jog. What would it take to eat 300 fewer calories? Forgo the tortilla at Chipotle or the beef in your stir-fry. For many people, changing diet is more convenient and less challenging (mentally and physically) than becoming more physically active.

Going to the Park? Walk or Bike!

Just in case you need a little nudge to ride your bike to work or walk to get groceries here's further evidence that "active" transit (i.e. walking or biking to get somewhere) is associated with better health. In the latest American Journal of Preventive Medicine one year of data was taken from a 20-year follow-up study to assess whether walking or cycling compared to only using a car to get around was associated with Body Mass Index (BMI), waist circumference, and fitness.

Biking for Health

It really was not until we moved to California that I was introduced to a bike culture. Many people we met were committed to traveling by bike; they rode everywhere  - to school, to work, even to sporting events. The roads were wide, the bike lanes were well marked and well maintained (no debris, no dangerous obstacles to maneuver around) and young and old partook in this type of activity. Was it exercise? Yes! Did it necessarily feel like it? No! For many, riding was a lifestyle, not an exercise routine. 

A recent study (reported in the press here) examined modes of transportation across several countries and rates of obesity. Countries where more people walked, cycled, or took mass transit to get around found lower rates of obesity. Obviously this study gives us no insight into why this is the case. While I don't expect that we can just start building bike lanes everywhere and expect communities to up and start riding bikes overnight, I see great promise in each place that I have lived to put in bike lanes to make it easier to get around without needing a car. Especially in the suburbs, where owning a car is assumed to be necessary. 

How do public health professionals, especially in suburban communities, change these transportation norms? What might be the impact for community health? 

R. Shephard provides an excellent article discussing the "active commuting" debate. Another study by scholars in Scotland examined adolescents' walking and biking commuting behaviors (to school, obviously) with regards to distance as a potential barrier. The authors found that adolescents were more likely to walk or bike to school if they lived within 2.5 miles, living farther than that was considered a sufficient barrier to active commuting. I wonder what that threshold would be in active cities in the US. This is a ripe area for future research and public health activity.